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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23861851">Runaways</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReesieReads/pseuds/ReesieReads'>ReesieReads</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cartoon Therapy (Web Series), Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Agender Character, Agender Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Alternate Universe - Human, Comedy with a sprinkle of pain, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, Genderfluid Character, Genderfluid Sleep | Remy Sanders, It/Its Pronouns Used, Kid Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Kid Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Kid Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Kid Deceit Sanders, Kid Logic | Logan Sanders, Kid Morality | Patton Sanders, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Logic | Logan Sanders, Past Child Abuse, Suicidal Thoughts, Sympathetic Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Sympathetic Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, Sympathetic Logic | Logan Sanders, Tragedy/Comedy, Trans Male Character, Trans Male Deceit Sanders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:28:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,364</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23861851</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReesieReads/pseuds/ReesieReads</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When your on the run from your family, police, and the world, what do you do when you start to stumble upon more and more kids like you? Kids who are running, and who don't plan on stopping. Kids who have seen more then any person should, and are looking for an escape. Well, if your Virgil Storm, you befriend them and bring them on your journey across the United States.</p><p>(On Hiatus)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Dr. Emile Picani/Sleep | Remy Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders/Deceit Sanders, One-sided logic | Logan Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>159</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Great Escape</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This story does have mentions of triggering topics like child abuse, child neglect, homophobia, transphobia etc. But these topics won't be mentioned often, as this story is mostly comedic and fluff. Chapters with these topics will have warnings at the top.</p><p>Chapter One warning: Implied child neglect/abuse, Suicidal thoughts</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Virgil hadn’t planned on running away, really had hadn’t. Sure, he had always wanted to get away from his deadbeat parents, and really just life in general, but he had always figured he would just pop a bottle of pills and get it over with. Maybe thirteen was a bit young to already be thinking of suicide, but Virgil had been contemplating it sense he was eleven, so really he was surprised he was even still around. It wasn’t like he had anything to live for anymore, if anything he was just around to spite the fucking universe.</p><p>Subconsciously though, maybe Virgil had been planning to run away. He had been stashing away any money he could for years now, and while he had to restart a couple times (his mother stealing his stash more than once for cigarettes) he still had a good load. $265 should be able to last him long enough to high tail it out of there and find some sort of back end job like mowing lawns or something.</p><p>It was the middle of the night, but his house wasn’t quiet. He could hear his step-father in the living room, coughing from smoking weed, no doubt stoned and probably drunk. His Mom was likely on the back porch smoking a cigarette, maybe she had decided to cash in on the pot too. Virgil didn’t really know what his parents did, he had stopped caring months ago. As long as they weren’t paying attention to him, what they did wasn’t important.</p><p>Stuffing as much clothing in his messenger bag as he could along with his favorite book, a sketchbook, colored pencils, phone charger, and a few pens, Virgil slowly zipped the bag shut. His heart was racing underneath his black checkered hoodie, and he could feel himself on the verge of a panic attack. He couldn’t panic now though, he didn’t have the time too. There were alarms on the windows, and as soon as he opened it his parents would know something was up. He wouldn’t have much time to make a break for it, and unfortunately, he didn’t know the bus schedule.</p><p>Stuffing the wad of cash in his wallet, and placing his phone and ear buds into his hoodie pocket Virgil took a deep breath. Was he really doing this? Yes, he had too. It's not like he didn’t have a plan either, it was just a little complicated. He was going to find his brother Remy, and hopefully live there until he turned eighteen. Maybe it was a little naive (especially sense Remy lived all the way out in Ohio while Virgil was trapped in Arizona) but he couldn’t think of anything better.</p><p>Swinging his violet messenger bag over his head, Virgil slyly crept over to his window. His black combat boots made small clacks on the concrete floor, but he was mostly silent. Pulling back the grey curtains that hung in front of his window Virgil stared out into his front yard. It was horribly dark, only lit up by the passing car or two. The tall tree (he didn’t know the name but it reminded him of a willow) swayed in the night breeze, thin branches letting go of the tiny leaves just barely clinging on to its bark.</p><p>A beat followed as Virgil stared, he was hesitating, why was he hesitating? Gritting his teeth he quickly flicked open the lock and braced his hands over the pane, ready to slide it open. This would have to be fast, he would have to get rid of the screen (which he had looked up how to do) and he would have to do it quickly. The lock on his door wouldn’t hold forever, and he would have to run some distance in order for them to not find them. Then he would probably have the police on his ass in the next 15-35 minutes,  if his parents cared that is.</p><p>Forcing himself to stop hesitating, Virgil pushed open the window. A loud beep rang through the house and adrenaline rushed through his veins. There was a loud shout (probably from his step-father) and Virgil quickly turned to the screen. Following what he had read online (he had memorized it just in case), he located the small tabs on the bottom. He pulled up on the tabs hard, feeling the screen lift ever so slightly beneath his fingers.</p><p>“VIRGIL UNLOCK THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!” His step-father bellowed, banging against his door.</p><p>Sucking in a shaky breath, Virgil grabbed the bottom of the screen with his right hand, still holding one of the tabs up with his left. He pried the bottom of the window out of the suctioned bottom with a heave. Placing both hands on the bottom, he turned the screen at an angle with gritted teeth and pushed it outside. The large screen clattered on the small patch of cement below, and Virgil hardly processed what he was doing before he was leaping outside.</p><p>He was running, he was actually running. Blood roared in his ears, and he barely registered his Mother cursing loudly at the side gate of the house which wouldn’t open (Virgil had sprayed it over with water weeks before so it would rust). His feet were pounding on the side walk as he raced to the left. In all of his years of living in Arizona, Virgil hardly knew anything around him.</p><p>_____________________________________</p><p>Virgil had run for what felt like hours, and he hardly recognized his surroundings now. They seemed vaguely familiar to his route to school, but he wasn’t positive. He had slowed to a walk now, his lungs heaving beneath his hoodie. The night desert air was biting, and he had pulled up his hood in an effort to preserve some heat. He had also put in his headphones, My Chemical Romance blasting through his ears even if he wasn’t really paying attention.</p><p>The adrenaline had started wearing off, and Virgil was finally starting to realize what he had just done. He had just run away, and now he was a thirteen year old out on the streets alone with only $265 to his name. He could be kidnapped, or raped, or robbed, or all sorts of horrible things, and no one would even know. Would he have to change his name? His appearance? Where was he going to stay? It wasn’t as if a hotel would just let a thirteen year old stay the night. Besides, he needed to stay out of Police’s way. They would just take him home, and now he really couldn’t afford that.</p><p>Sucking in an icy breath, he decided to focus on the most important stuff, food and shelter. His stomach was growling, (he had forgotten to pack food) and his last meal had been hours ago. There were a few restaurants nearby that were open 24/7, but Virgil wasn’t entirely sure if they’d serve a random thirteen year old. He had to try though right? Shelter could come after he got some food.</p><p>Lucky for him, a Waffle House was only a couple roads down. The neon sign shined bright in the desert darkness, and there seemed to be few people inside. He walked in with an impassive face, hoping everyone would be too tired to question a kid alone on the streets with a bag. There was a group of college kids in one of the booths, all laughing. The only other people were a teenager with sandy blonde hair and the workers. If he got out of here fast, no one should catch him.</p><p>Virgil sat down at the bar area, a couple stools down from the teenager. Some song he didn’t recognize was playing, and he longed to put back in his earbuds and let the world melt away. Instead, he decided to do a bit of people watching. He had always had a bad habit of staring at people, everyone he knew said it was creepy, but he just couldn’t help himself. Being aware of everyone around him made him feel safer, and if it came across as a bit creepy all the better.</p><p>He looked over the teen first, sense he was the closest. The boy had short sandy waves sticking out of a black beanie, and one light brown eye while the other was white and milky. Virgil guessed he must be blind in the white eye, and the long scar trailing over that side of the boy’s face only helped confirm his suspicions. He wore a bright yellow hoodie underneath a black jacket, and Virgil had no idea how he wasn’t burning up. The thing that caught his attention though was the beat up black backpack at the teen’s feet, filled to the brim with who knows what.</p><p>Before Virgil could really ponder why this random scarred teenager had a full backpack a worker came up to get his order, “what can I getcha’ today?” </p><p>“Just-uh-just some cheese and eggs please,” Virgil choked out.</p><p>“Raisin spread or apple butter?” the worker asked bordly, her black ponytail swishing behind her.</p><p>“Um, apple butter?” He said, though it came out more as a question.</p><p>The woman nodded, flipping her notepad closed as she made her way back to the kitchen. She looked exhausted, and Virgil was glad she was likely too tired to care about some random kid. When he looked back over at the teenager, he was met with one brown eye and one white staring at him. Freezing, Virgil quickly looked back down at his menu. Could teenagers be kidnappers? Or rapists? He didn’t see why they couldn’t, and no one here would really care if he got taken.</p><p>His stomach swirled with nerves as he waited for his food. The silence was killing him, and now he wasn’t sure if he even could eat. Tapping his foot nervously on the bottom of the stool, Virgil picked at his lip. Focusing on the dead skin and the ripping sensation always seemed to help ground him. Sure, he would probably end up bleeding, but it wouldn’t be enough to kill him. </p><p>“Not thirsty?” A raspy voice said beside him, the teenager.</p><p>Virgil shook his head, heart pounding in his chest “not really.”</p><p>“Hm, suit yourself.” The boy was sitting beside himself, looking at him with a hint of mischief in his gaze “name’s Dee, yours?”</p><p>“Virgil.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Dee's Deal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>No warnings apply</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dee was surprisingly nice for a stranger. It wasn’t like he had given Virgil candy or anything weird like that, he just made small talk. His voice was scratchy, and he drawled his s’s out, which reminded Virgil of a snake. When he told the teenager as much, he simply laughed and told Virgil that his favorite animal was a snake. They continued to talk even when their food arrived, but Virgil refused to let down his guard just yet.</p><p>“So Virgil,” Dee said, “what's a kid your age doing out on the street alone?”</p><p>The wind felt like it had been sucked out of Virgil’s lungs as he choked out a weak “what do you mean?”</p><p>The teen made a face, “sorry, that came out wrong. I meant, are you a runaway like I am? Most runaways aren’t as young as you are, so I’d thought I’d ask.”</p><p>Dee was a runaway too? Virgil knew this was likely a good thing,  but the odds felt infinitesimal. He couldn’t trust this right off the bat could he? Logically, he knew he should just lie, but he really could use a win right about now. Besides, a runaway wouldn’t sell out another runaway would they?</p><p>Eventually Virgil nodded, “yeah, I just ran away a few hours ago… when did you?”</p><p>“Couple weeks ago,” the boy said in between bites of his waffle, “stole my brother’s car and drove out from Cali.”</p><p>Virgil’s eyes widened, “Cali?”</p><p>Dee nodded, “I didn’t have any real destination, just needed to get out of state. What about you?”</p><p>“I’m trying to get to my brother Remy,” he said “he lives out in Ohio.”</p><p>The older boy made a face, “you got any plan to get there? Ohio is hella far away.”</p><p>Virgil bit his lip, he knew he hadn’t thought it out all the way, but he hadn’t realized how little planning he had actually done. Ohio was literally across the country, and he couldn’t even ride the city bus. He couldn’t call Remy either since his brother had changed his number after he moved. All Virgil had was a two year old address and $256.</p><p>Dee sighed, “I’m gonna take that as a no. Look I can… god I’m gonna fuckin’ regret this, I can drive you if you want?”</p><p>Virgil’s eyes widened, “really? But… why would you do that?”</p><p>The teenager paused, as if deliberating. He stabbed his scrambled eggs with a fork, leaving little indents. “Why not?” he asked softly, “ain’t like I got much going’ on anyways. At least you got some sort of destination, might as well come along for the ride right?”</p><p>That was a reason he supposed, even if it wasn’t a very good one “but the address I got is like two years old… we could get out there and not find anything.”</p><p>Virgil didn’t know why he was arguing against the offer. He had no other way to get to Ohio, and even if he did he doubted it would be as comfortable as a car ride. Even if Dee ended up being untrustworthy, couldn’t he just flee? Someone would be bound to do something if he started screaming, not everyone was a ruthless monster.</p><p>“Look kid,” Dee said “do you want me to take you or not?”</p><p>Well, he shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth right? “Yeah,” Virgil said “yeah okay.”</p><p>The teen grinned, “cool, though you’ll have to pay me back.”</p><p>There was the catch, he should’ve just said no. Sure, he had money, but he doubted that would cover the whole trip. Plus, that was all the money he had. If Dee ditched him he would be stranded with nothing but clothes and a couple knick-knacks. Knick-knacks never got anyone anywhere, not in this age.</p><p>“Hmm, two hundread and fifty six should cover it, dontcha’ think?” Dee said with a wide smirk.</p><p>Somehow, the older boy had grabbed Virgil’s bag, which he was now holding with one hand. In the other, he held up the raggedy black wallet that had been sitting in Virgil’s hoodie pocket just minutes before. The safe assumption was that he had counted the money, but how the hell had the younger boy missed that? Sure, he had been paying attention to everything above the counter rather than under it, but he wasn’t an idiot.</p><p>“How the hell did you do that?” he hissed.</p><p>Dee’s smirk widened, “a magician never tells their tricks. Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. You give me the money willingly, and I’ll drive you to Ohio, or, I take everything you own and drive off. Which it gonna be kid?”</p><p>Virgil’s nose scrunched up, “what the hell happend to the whole ‘I’ll drive you cause why the fuck not?’ thing?”</p><p>The teen shrugged, “life fuckin’ sucks kid, and in this world its everybody for themselves. I’m willing to drive you because I don’t have anywhere else to go, but I still want something in return. Plus, I’m kinda outta cash, and pulling a dine and dash isn’t exactly ideal if you know what I mean.”</p><p>Ok, so, not exactly the most ideal situation. Either way Virgil was gonna lose his money, so he was pretty much fucked. However, getting a maybe ride was probably better then getting ditched in some random Waffle House. He was really starting to think running away had been a mistake though. Only an hour or so away and he was already being robbed. </p><p>“Fine,” he snapped, “let’s drive.”</p><p>Dee placed the wallet into his jacket pocket, dropped Virgil’s bag onto the floor, and clapped his hands together “great! Let’s get a move on!”</p><p>“We have to pay first,” Virgil said.</p><p>“Ugh, right, paying,” the older boy said with an eye roll before signaling over the waitress, “can I get the checks for the two of us please?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Smiley</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warnings: Implications of child abuse and neglect, suicidal thoughts</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Fifty dollars Virgil! Fifty!”</p>
<p>Virgil scrunched up his nose, “don’t call me Virgil man, just like call me Virge or something. Hearing my full name sounds weird.”</p>
<p>Dee rolled his eyes, “yeah okay Virge, do you mind telling me why we had to tip the lady five dollars?”</p>
<p>Virgil shrugged, pulling his hoodie tighter around his body “because it's nice?”</p>
<p>He didn’t see what the big deal was, it was just five dollars. Even if they hadn’t tipped her they still would have only had two hundred and five dollars left. Plus, it wasn’t Virgil’s fault that Dee had bought five cups of coffee like some sort of lunatic. If anyone should be complaining, it should definitely be him. Dee still hadn’t taken them to his car, and standing outside a Waffle House in the cold desert night is not exactly ideal.</p>
<p>“Nice?” Dee snarled, “there is no nice when you're a runaway Virge!”</p>
<p>“I’m… I’m sorry,” Virgil stuttered, he didn’t want to make Dee mad, he knew how people acted when they were mad.</p>
<p>“No I-” Dee groaned, “let’s just find the car okay? You're shaking like a leaf.”</p>
<p>Virgil nodded quickly, trying to ignore the ice flowing through his veins. He hadn’t realized how cold the desert could get at night, which was sad considering he had lived there for a couple years. Dee began to lead him around the building, creeping in the shadows. Virgil didn’t know why he was being so sneaky, but he wasn’t about to question it. He still needed a ride and he had pissed off the slender boy once already.</p>
<p>Dee led him over to the very corner of the back parking lot, passing by a long row of big white semi-trucks. If Virgil wanted, he could probably lay underneath one of them. Whenever they drove past they would crush him flat, not even realizing he was there. He immediately shook the idea away, if he was going to go out getting crushed was not how he wanted it to go. Besides, he didn’t need to kill himself anymore, Dee was already helping him escape. But then, why did he want to so badly?</p>
<p>“This,” Dee said with a flourish “is my baby Smiley.”</p>
<p>“You named your car?” Virgil asked, before shaking his head “better question, you have a Honda?”</p>
<p>“Unfortunately,” Dee said “I’ve always been more of a Toyota guy myself, but D-uh-Janus always said Honda was more reliable.”</p>
<p>Smiley was almost invisible in the night since it was dark black color. If Virgil had to guess that's probably why Dee took it in the first place. Hard to be seen if you have the same colour car as everyone else. It looked like it had three sets of seats though, which Virgil thought was pretty excessive considering Dee was by himself before he showed up. Did his brother have kids or something?</p>
<p>In the end Virgil found he didn’t care and hurried over to the passenger’s door. His hoodie wasn’t helping anymore and the strap of his messenger bag was digging into his shoulder. Dee rolled his eyes and stuck a key into his door, opening it and slipping in. He took his time placing his back-pack in the back and putting in the key to the ignition. Virgil’s stomach sunk, was Dee actually going to leave him here?</p>
<p>The likelihood of Dee ditching him seemed pretty high from what he’d seen. He clearly didn’t give a crap about rules, and he had preached the whole ‘everyone for themselves!’ pretty admintly. What would Virgil do if Dee actually did leave him? He couldn’t go back home unless he wanted to be starved and yelled at. Hotels and restaurants weren’t options either if his money was taken. Maybe he could find some other homeless person? They would probably know a good place for him to crash.</p>
<p>“You comin’ or what? I ain’t got all day kid,” Dee said through a now opened passenger’s side window.</p>
<p>Virgil pulled on the door handle, surprised when it actually popped open. He climbed into his seat and swung his messenger’s bag to the floor below him. He slammed the door, which earned him a glare from Dee. The car smelled overwhelmingly of mint and his nose burned when he breathed it in. It was likely the small grey thing clipped onto the vent over the radio that had a small blue center. Virgil would have pulled it off but he didn’t want to mess with anything in case he ticked off Dee even more than he already had.</p>
<p>“So… we gonna go?” Virgil asked after a few minutes of silence.</p>
<p>“Seatbelt,” Dee said.</p>
<p>Virgil rolled his eyes, “you're not even wearing one!”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Dee agreed, “but I also don’t look like I’m ten years old. I ain’t getting pulled over because you didn’t wear the stupid strap.”</p>
<p>Virgil conceded, but not without a few complaints. When he clicked it in place, he threw the long part of the strap behind him. He wasn’t risking getting his throat sliced because the long strap hit his neck. Dee stared at him for a moment, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, the older boy slowly pulled out of the parking lot and made his way towards the main road. </p>
<p>“Hey,” Virgil said softly “do you have an aux cord?”<br/>Dee smirked and passed him a long blue cord, “knock yourself out kid.”</p>
<p>Plugging the cord into his phone, Virgil scrolled through his playlists. He had downloaded hundreds of songs off of Mp3juices.com, which a friend had recommended to him. Getting free music at the click of a button was probably the greatest gift he had ever gotten, and he still owed the dude. Now though, it looked like he wouldn’t be able to pay him back. Clicking on his favorites list he smiled as Paramore’s song ‘Ignorance’ started playing through the speakers.</p>
<p>Dee snorted, “I should have known you were an emo!”</p>
<p>“Why?” Virgil asked “because I wear black?”</p>
<p>“That,” Dee said, “and the fact that you're a pre-teen. You got all those stupid emotions you don’t know what to do with.”</p>
<p>“Aren’t you a teenager?” Virgil asked with a grin, “you got all those emotions too. I bet you like these songs just as much as I do!”</p>
<p>Dee shrugged, “maybe, maybe not.”</p>
<p>Virgil nodded with a laugh, “yeah, that's a total yes.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Speedway</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warnings: Implications to child abuse</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They drove in silence for a long time, Virgil’s music the only thing penetrating the otherwise quiet night. The roads were rather barren, the morning rush still hours away. Dee seemed to be taking the back roads, driving through neighborhoods and the occasional street. Virgil didn’t know <br/>how the teen knew his way around so well, but he supposed it didn’t matter. As long as they got out of state and were on their way to Ohio, what did it matter?</p>
<p>“Let’s stop at a gas station,” Dee said softly, dual-toned eyes still on the road.</p>
<p>“What?” Virgil asked, raising an eyebrow “but we don’t have a lot of money do you really-”</p>
<p>“I need gas,” Dee interrupted, “plus, wouldn’t we be saving money by grabbing snacks rather than eating out?”</p>
<p>The teen had a point, but Virgil wasn’t exactly happy about it. After all, that was all the money they had. “Fine,” he said, “but don’t go spending a lot of it.”</p>
<p>Dee rolled his eyes, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”</p>
<p>They went quiet again, and Virgil watched as the street lamps passed. The night sky was beginning to brighten, and he guessed it had to be at least five. He had already been gone for at least a couple hours, and he felt a laugh burbiling in his chest. He was free, he had done it, he was finally getting out of that hell hole.</p>
<p>Virgil didn’t even notice he was crying until Dee had turned down the music, giving him a small look of concern. He quickly wiped away the salty tears running down his cheeks with his sleeves, sniffing. Dee wasn’t exactly trust worthy yet, and Virgil didn’t like to cry in front of anyone, especially not a stranger. Besides, the teen probably didn’t want to deal with a crying thirteen year old.</p>
<p>“You know,” Dee said after a while, his voice soft, “I cried after I ran away.”</p>
<p>Virgil looked up in surprise, “you did?”</p>
<p>The teen nodded, refusing to look at anything but the road. His grip on the steering wheel had made his knuckles go white, and Virgil couldn’t help but notice the tension in his shoulders. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who felt uncomfortable showing emotion. The sentiment did help though, some of the anxiety fading away. Dee understood what it was like, he had the same overwhelming feeling Virgil was having now. It felt nice, like he wasn’t alone.</p>
<p>“It gets easier,” Dee whispered “you get used to hiding, to always being on the road, to having barely any conversations. It's hard the first few days, all you want to do is go back. But you can’t, and so you adapt instead.”</p>
<p>Virgil looked down at his feet, “Well, you don’t have to worry about having anyone to talk to anymore. I’m around now, if that counts for anything.”</p>
<p>The teen smiled slightly, and only now did Virgil realize how glassy Dee’s eyes were. What had this random teenager been through that would make him run away? Who gave him that scar on his face? Who blinded him? He wasn’t sure if he even wanted to know. If Dee’s parents were anything like his own, then it was better to not ask.</p>
<p>“Thanks kid,” Dee muttered “for an emo, you ain’t all that bad.”</p>
<p>Virgil snorted, “you aren’t so bad yourself.”</p>
<p>Dee pulled Smiley into a Speedway parking lot, parking next to a gas pump. There weren’t many people around, only one or two, so they wouldn’t have to worry about getting asked too many questions. Dee could pass for an adult anyways-if he wasn’t already Virgil didn’t actually know-so they should be ok. Grabbing his phone and stuffing it into his pocket, Virgil jumped out of the car. Dee followed him, and the two headed inside the small building.</p>
<p>It was freezing, and the sudden shift in temperature shocked his system. Even Dee looked uncomfortable, and he was wearing two jackets. The lady at the register greeted them boredly, not looking up from the magazine she was flipping through. There was a man and what looked like his daughter looking through the candy aisle, but otherwise the place was barren.</p>
<p>“You pick out the food,” Dee said, “I’ll pay for the gas and fill it up. By the time I get back you should be done.”</p>
<p>Virgil nodded, heading into the cereal aisle first. For a gas station, they sure had a lot of stuff. He picked up two boxes of Cheerios, they would have to be eaten dry but they would probably be the biggest meal they got for a while. He picked up some bags of Cheez-its as well, along with a few cans of different Pringles. None of it was healthy, but it would last them until they gained some more money.</p>
<p>He wasn’t sure if he should get any drinks, considering they couldn’t keep them cold, but he figured getting some water wasn’t a bad idea. Making a few trips to the counter, he piled it with all the stuff he picked out, pointedly ignoring the weird looks the father and daughter were giving him. Virgil didn’t feel like talking to anyone at the moment, let alone a parent.</p>
<p>Dee came back whistling, meeting Virgil at the counter. The father and daughter had just finished paying, the bell chiming as they left. He watched as the teen beside him paid for the food, but he wasn’t really paying attention. His mind was far away, all the way in Ohio with his brother. He didn’t know if Remy would even take him in, and the idea that he wouldn’t was suffocating. What would happen if they got stranded in Ohio of all places?</p>
<p>“You ready kid?” Dee asked, snapping his fingers in front of Virgil’s face.</p>
<p>Blinking, he nodded, “yeah, sorry. Let’s go.”</p>
<p>They headed back to Smiley, each of them carrying a grocery bag in both hands. Dee floundered to unlock the car, and they piled the food into the back seat. They didn’t talk as they both got back into their seats and pulled out of the parking lot. Virgil didn’t even bother putting back on the music, instead watching the world pass by through the window. He was exhausted, but the idea of sleeping almost sounded worse then going back to his house. The probability of nightmares or something happening was just too high.</p>
<p>“You should go to sleep,” Dee said “after you give me that address anyway.”</p>
<p>Virgil wanted to argue, but his body felt like lead and his brain like mush. It was better to get some sleep now anyways, before anything else crazy happened. Giving Dee the address, he laid his head down on the edge of the window, feeling the cold from outside against his forehead. The low vibration of the car and the rumble of the wheels was calming, and soon he was drifting off into sleep.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Jazz</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry if the travel time is a bit unrealistic, I've never traveled between states in anything but a plane before!</p><p>Warnings: Implications to child abuse/neglect</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Virgil woke up his first feeling was a deathly panic. For a good couple of seconds he couldn’t remember anything, and he didn’t understand why he was in some random car instead of his room. When he did remember however, he was filled with a sickening dread. His muscles hurt from sitting in such an uncomfortable position, and his feet had gotten pins and needles from hanging limply for who knows how long. </p><p>“Welcome back,” Dee said with a slight smirk “did you sleep well?”</p><p>Virgil groaned “where are we anyway?”</p><p>“Um,” Dee glanced at his phone for a moment before turning back to Virgil “we’re like, I dunno, an hour away from New Mexico I think.”</p><p>His eyes widened, “New Mexico? How long was I out?”</p><p>“Couple hours,” Dee said with a shrug, “it's like one in the afternoon so…”</p><p>Virgil couldn’t believe that they were almost out of state already. Had they been that close to New Mexico already that it only took a few hours to get to it? Better yet, would he have gotten this far without Dee’s help? He doubted it, and the thought scared him. He was completely dependent on Dee getting him to his brother, and if the teen decided to not help him anymore then he was screwed. </p><p>“Here,” Dee said, tossing him a can of vinegar Pringles while he drove. “Eat. You're probably starving.”</p><p>Virgil scrunched his nose up at the smell, but he didn’t complain. The sour taste shocked his system, making his eyes water, but he liked it in an odd sort of way. Plugging in his phone he scrolled through his favorites, deciding on ‘It Ends Tonight’ he sat back as the music filled the car. Dee rolled his eyes, but Virgil could tell he liked it just a little bit.<br/>
“Say,” Virgil said softly “what's your kind of music anyway?”</p><p>Dee smirked, “I like jazz.”</p><p>“No way!” Virgil said with wide eyes, “You're joking! I’ve never met anyone who actually likes jazz!”</p><p>The teen rolled his eyes, “well now you have. You want to hear it?”</p><p>Virgil nodded, handing Dee the aux cord. With one hand the teen pulled up his playlist and plugged the cord in with his teeth. He wasn’t exactly a fan of the whole one handed thing, but he had a feeling Dee knew what he was doing. A song he didn’t recognize started to play, but he did recognize the soulful nature from when they studied the 1920’s in school. </p><p>“What is this?” Virgil asked, leaning back in his seat to listen.</p><p>“Black Hole Sun,” Dee replied, humming along with the music.</p><p>The pre-teen smiled ever so slightly, “I like it.”</p><p>Dee didn’t reply, but Virgil swore he could see the teen smile. The song wasn’t bad, and he found himself humming along to the toon as well. It wasn't nearly as dark or edgy as his own music, but it still had that pessimistic energy he had always preferred. The next song was one he didn’t recognize either, and the deep voice surprised him. This one was a lot more like his own taste, but it still had that soul that just… screamed Dee.</p><p>“There any love songs on yours?” Dee asked after a while, eyes still focused on the road.</p><p>“Um,” Virgil blushed slightly “Sally’s Song from Nightmare Before Christmas? Not much else though.”</p><p>Dee raised an eyebrow, “I would not have pegged you as a Disney kid.”</p><p>He shrugged, “Disney movies can be a lot darker than most give them credit for, especially the older ones.”</p><p>“True,” the teen agreed “the villains were always my favorite though.”</p><p>Virgil nodded, “yeah, most of them are pretty cool. I like the more unknown films though you know? Like Black Cauldron and Nightmare Before Christmas. The classics are nice and everything, but some of the lesser known ones are so much more interesting.”</p><p>Dee nodded in agreement, but he didn’t reply. If Virgil was honest the boy looked horrible, he was clearly exhausted and he looked like he hadn’t taken a shower in at least a few days. Now that he thought about it, the teen likely hadn’t slept at all and was running on breakfast food and Pringles alone. If he could offer to drive he would, but as Dee put it he ‘looked like a ten year old’ which he wanted to argue with, but he knew it was true. </p><p>“We should find a hotel or something once we get to New Mexico,” he said.</p><p>Dee snorted, “you mean a motel? We ain’t made of money kid.”</p><p>“Hell no!” Virgil exclaimed “I’m not getting STDs or some shit like that!”</p><p>“STDs?” Dee asked, “please I’m sure you could get much worse from a crappy motel. Don't be so generic.”</p><p>“How would you know?” Virgil asked, ignoring the urge to stress eat.</p><p>“I don’t think that's any of your business.” Dee said simply, “But I’ll consider stopping somewhere in New Mexico so we can rest.”</p><p>Figuring that was the best he was going to get, Virgil went onto his phone. Pulling up Tumblr he scrolled absent-mindedly through his page, reblogging things every so often. It wasn’t exactly productive, and he probably should have been drawing something for his blog, but at the moment he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Plus, drawing in a moving car wasn’t exactly easy.</p><p>“You should turn the location off if you haven’t already,” Dee muttered.</p><p>Surprised he hadn’t thought of that, he pressed the button to turn off the location and went back to scrolling. Everything seemed normal, some people complaining about the President, some fan-art, some fanfics he reblogged for later, some theories. Honestly it was unnerving how normal it was, how the rest of the world kept spinning even though his entire world had changed. He hadn’t expected anything to change obviously, but the difference was still shocking.</p><p>For months Tumblr had been his outlet, something he tuned into for hours while blasting music in his ears. He posted fan-art of Homestuck and art of his Ocs and talked to his followers, he pretended he had friends while ignoring the yelling outside his door and roaring hunger in his stomach. Now though, Tumblr was a whole different kind of outlet. It was the last tie he had to his old life, to the life he had thrown out just hours before. </p><p>Virgil was almost surprised to say, he didn’t miss it.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Welcome To New Mexico</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>When you have to go to Tumblr to find Homestuck ships because you haven't actually read it and your just assuming its something Virgil and Remus would be into-</p>
<p>Also I'm sorry if any of the travel information is wrong, I haven't traveled in-between states by car sense like 2013 so I can barley remember how it works.</p>
<p>Warnings: Gore mention, blood mention, cops mention, Remus mention, sexual innuendo, minor panic attack</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Sit up.” </p>
<p>Virgil looked up from his phone in surprise, watching as Dee clicked his seat belt into place. The teen sounded stressed, and that only worsened the now growing anxiety in his stomach. Adjusting himself so he was sitting straight, he glanced out of the windshield to where Dee was looking.</p>
<p>They were behind a long line of cars, but Virgil assumed that was normal for every day traffic. He didn’t see the big deal, and that was almost more panic inducing then knowing the danger. At least when you knew what to expect you could prepare slightly, but when you didn’t there was no way to brace yourself for the impact. Did Dee expect them to get in an accident or something?</p>
<p>“Why are you so nervous all of a sudden?” Virgil asked.</p>
<p>Dee clenched his jaw, “we’re about to head into New Mexico. There are always a ton of cops around when your crossing over states, and as much as I ‘love’ the cops I would rather not get pulled over when I’ve got a ten year old in my car who is clearly not related to me.”</p>
<p>“I’m thirteen” Virgil grumbled, refusing to acknowledge the other part of Dee’s sentence.</p>
<p>The idea of them running into the cops was frightening, and Virgil could feel the panic brimming in his lungs. He couldn’t have an attack here though, not when Dee was driving, not to mention clearly stressed. Taking a deep breath he plugged in his ear buds, putting his playlist on as high as he was willing to without fear of bothering the teen beside him.</p>
<p>If Dee minded he didn’t say anything, so Virgil continued on trying to focus on the words to ‘Thanks For The Memories’ rather than the fact that his breathing was coming in uneven. The music alone wasn’t enough though, made obvious by the fact that his mind was still racing over all the things his parents would do to him if the police caught him. Not to mention the fact that he would likely never see Dee again, and for some reason that thought seemed terrifying.</p>
<p>Opening up his Tumblr he opened the first fanfic he saw. It was a Jadekat fic, and from what he could tell a rather gory one. Virgil wasn’t exactly a super gore fan-it just gave him more things to worry about-but maybe the words would override the fear churning in his stomach. Reading through it he was surprised to find that it was rather well written. Sure, it was mostly about death, but the style was polished and had a flair to it that most fanfics he read just didn’t.</p>
<p>Scrolling up, Virgil clicked on the Author’s profile: TheTrashRat. The profile picture was just a rat with a green background, the banner being a simple blood splatter. The bio was simple: Remus, Agender, it/its, my Dm’s are always open~ with an eggplant next to the curved line. Whoever Remus was, it clearly wasn’t afraid to admit it was dirty minded. Virgil had to respect the honesty though, even if he had never been one for stuff so vulgar.</p>
<p>Going to look through it’s tags, Virgil found #mywriting and clicked it. He felt his anxiety melting away as he was scooped up in the vivid word-play. The stories were gory sure, and while most of them contained innuendos, they were mostly just angst, Virgil could get behind angst. Whoever this Remus person was, it was clearly a fan of the same stuff as Virgil. If he remembered-or even got the chance-he would have to draw some stuff based off of some of the stories, he hadn’t drawn proper gore in awhile anyhow-which he had a reason for but still-and the author would likely appreciate it.</p>
<p>There was a snap in front of his face and Virgil pulled one of his earbuds out as he looked up. Dee’s seatbelt was gone now, and he seemed visibly more relaxed then before, “you can relax now, we crossed over into New Mexico a little while ago.”</p>
<p>Virgil let out a sigh of relief, most of the tension leaving his shoulders “thank god.”</p>
<p>“Why?” Dee asked with a smirk, “you nervous?”</p>
<p>He rolled his eyes, “like you weren’t?”</p>
<p>The teen’s smirk only widened, “I have no idea what you're talking about.”</p>
<p>Choosing to ignore the smirking teen-who was far to pleased with himself-Virgil leaned into the back to grab something to eat. Pringles were great and all, but it wasn’t a meal-nothing they had really was but still-so he grabbed one of the boxes of cheerios. Opening it he poured some into the cup holder in the middle, gesturing to Dee. The teen groaned but did grab a small handful before putting it in his mouth.</p>
<p>“You said you were going to stop somewhere right?” Virgil asked, “you look like you could use a serious break.”</p>
<p>Dee snorted, “oh no Virgil, I am perfectly fine with eating cheerios for a meal and going without a shower for days at a time.”</p>
<p>“I-” he turned away to look out the window, stuffing his hands in his pockets “you don’t have to be a dick about it dude.”</p>
<p>“Right,” Dee said, not bothering to apologize “I’ll stop once night falls, I don’t want to get caught in the middle of the day.”</p>
<p>“You mean evening right?” Virgil asked, “It's like five now man.”</p>
<p>The teen’s eyes widened but he said nothing. Virgil couldn’t blame him, it felt like just a few minutes ago they had been sitting inside a Waffle House talking about running away in hushed whispers. Part of him couldn’t believe the day was almost over, and the other couldn’t believe it hadn’t ended already. Time had always been strange, but it was made horribly clear how much of a construct it was now.</p>
<p>“Just a few more hours,” he muttered, just a few more hours and he would be gone for an entire day.</p>
<p>The thought was exciting.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Panic at the Nighttime</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm really sorry this took so long to get out! My mental health took a dumpster dive and I needed to take a break from this for a while. I hope I can update more often now that I'm in a better place though!</p><p>Warnings: Panic attacks, murder mention, rape mention, pedophile mention, serial killer mention, child neglect implications, drunk mention, weed mention</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dee ended up stopping like he said he would, the spot was just not to Virgil’s liking. Sure they were unlikely to be found in the desolate spot, but its placement just sent chills running down his spine. It was one of those dead end streets on the side of the road that crime shows talked about, the ones frequented by murderers and rapists. Virgil knew Dee likely wasn’t going to kill or rape him, but the reminder set him on edge.</p><p>“This good?” Dee grumbled.</p><p>Virgil shrugged, “it’ll do. I’ll hold watch while you sleep.”</p><p>The teen snorted, “you make it sound like you're one of those scouts on pirate ships.”</p><p>“Well,” Virgil said with a snicker “I kinda am aren’t I?”</p><p>Dee didn’t reply, instead opting to lean his chair back and pull the only blanket they had-a bright yellow one-over his body. The teen was out immediately, and Virgil let out a sigh of relief.Other than the fact that he was depending on Dee to get him to Ohio alive, Virgil also wanted the teen to take care of himself because some part of him did care for the grumpy asshole.</p><p>Staring into the side window and whatever was behind the car, he hummed a soft tune under his breath. It wasn’t anything special, just something he made on the fly but it always helped him to calm down. Something about the heavy silence was calming rather than suffocating, something he hadn’t thought was possible. </p><p>It was strange to think about the fact that this would be his life for who knew how long. Instead of staying awake in his bedroom blasting music and ignoring how starving he was, he would be sitting watch or sleeping in a car and eating Cheerios for dinner. Virgil found he almost didn’t mind though, not when Dee was here to give him company. The teen may be secretive, hell he could still be tricking Virgil, but even if he was he was also one of the kindest people he had ever met.</p><p>Maybe Virgil was being naive, maybe gullible, it wouldn’t be the first time. He almost didn’t care though because even if he came out of this even more broken then before he still would have escaped home. Dee may not have the full grasp on why Virgil needed to get away so desperately, and Virgil had no idea how he would react if he knew.</p><p>None of that really mattered though, he knew that. What did matter was that they were on the way to Ohio, and they desperately needed a shower and some real food soon. The best way to get that would be to gather some money and get a hotel room, but he had no idea how they would gain enough money for that. Dee would probably say stealing or something, but Virgil really didn’t want to risk that if it wasn’t necessary.</p><p>Virgil wondered what his parents were doing now, if anything had even changed for them. Honestly they were probably just sitting on the couch drinking and smoking weed, but he almost wished they were looking for him, at least then he’d know they care. Though, maybe they’d just want him back to brag about his grades. They always did love how smart he was, how fucking wonderful he was in school.</p><p>He hadn’t even realized he was crying until he felt something drop onto his hand. Quickly wiping his face with his jacket sleeves he choked down the sob growing in his throat. Virgil hated crying, but he especially hated crying in front of other people. It was weak, and even if he knew he was weak physically he had always been praised for being strong mentally and emotionally. It didn't really matter, but he didn’t want to give that up if he could help it.</p><p>Unfortunately, Virgil couldn’t help but sob when he saw something in the side mirror. Was it a person coming to kill them? A rapist coming to rape and then kill them? Was it an officer planning to send him back to his parents? Was it a pedophile? A serial killer? Was this how he was going to die? God, Virgil didn’t really want to die, not really.</p><p>He had only realized he was having a panic attack when he felt his chest start to constrict. Breathing felt impossible and Virgil couldn’t think properly enough to remember all those exercises he had looked up. Dee could maybe help but Virgil didn’t know if he wanted to bother the teen. He didn’t want Dee to get mad, and he knew Dee needed the sleep, and really they hadn’t even been here that long so really it was just a bad idea.</p><p>“Virgil?”</p><p>Jumping, he spun around to look at an extremely tired Dee. The teen was looking at him with concern, his dirty blonde hair sticking up in all directions sense his beanie fell off. Virgil turned away, trying to control his breathing enough that Dee wouldn’t notice how labored it was. The teen wasn’t dumb though, he knew that, and he doubted he was doing a very good job anyway.</p><p>“Are you okay? Wait-no shit-sorry dumb question, your clearly not. Do you-uh-do you need a distraction?”</p><p>Virgil nodded, choking down another sob which only made the breathing worse and fuck he was going to die wasn’t he? He was going to suffocate here in Dee’s car and make everything worse because then Dee would be stranded in New Mexico with a dead body. The police would find the body and a witness would mention Dee’s car and they’d blame him for the murder and then-</p><p>“Hey, hey, hey, look at me.”</p><p>He didn’t want to, but Dee sounded so desprete, so scared, Virgil hadn’t even known the teen could get scared, let alone over something so stupid as him panicking. The teen probably wasn’t prepared for this, Virgil should have mentioned it before they left that stupid Wafflehouse. Now Dee was going to realize how much of a burden he was and he was going to abandon him here and then whatever was out there was going to kill them and-</p><p>“Virgil please, just look at me.”</p><p>“I can’t!” he cried, letting the dam finally break “I can’t, I can’t, I can’t, it hurts make it stop please! I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe!”</p><p>“Okay, okay-uh-look I’m-uh-going to ask you some questions and I want you to answer them okay? Don’t focus on anything else okay? Just me and the-uh-the questions okay?” the teen sounded just as scared as Virgil felt.</p><p>Virgil forced himself to nod, “okay, okay, okay.”</p><p>“What's your name?”</p><p>“I-Virgil.”</p><p>“What's my name?”</p><p>“Dee?”</p><p>“Uh-right, “the car’s name?”</p><p>“Smiley.”</p><p>“What state are we in?”</p><p>“New Mexico.”</p><p>“Favorite movie?”</p><p>“NIghtmare Before Christmas?”</p><p>“Favorite color?”</p><p>“Uh, purple?”</p><p>Virgil didn’t know why, but it was helping. His eyes weren’t watering anymore and his chest felt looser. He was still scared, but at least he didn’t feel like he was actively dying anymore. Holding up his hand to tell Dee to give him a minute he scrubbed his face with his hoodie sleeves. Embarrassment burned in his stomach and he just wanted to curl up and hide. That would be even worse though, so he didn’t.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” he muttered.</p><p>“Don’t be,” Dee said with a shrug “it's not your fault. I shouldn’t have stopped at night, that was stupid.”</p><p>“It protects us from cops,” Virgil pointed out, sniffing “I’d say thats not dumb.”</p><p>“But it leaves us more vulnerable to creeps,” Dee pointed out “and your fucking twelve, I shouldn’t have let you keep watch.”</p><p>Virgil sighed, “look, you were exhausted that's why we stopped in the first place. It doesn’t matter who’s fault it was, we just need to get out of here. I saw something behind us in the mirror, I don’t know what it was but we need to go.’</p><p>“Yeah okay,” Dee said, not looking convinced “let's go.”</p>
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